A Different Kind of Magic
by tessalynne
Summary: Sequel to 'Full Circle' Where the heart leads magic follows. Complete
1. Chapter 1

**A Different Kind of Magic (Sequel to Full Circle)**

**By Teri AKA tessalynne**

**PG/ PG-13 for possible language**

**Phoebe/Cole**

**AU**

**Disclaimer:**I do not own Charmed or any of its characters. I am uncertain whether they are the property of WB Television or Spelling Television, but either way, no copyright infringement is intended. I have borrowed them strictly for entertainment purposes and shall return them unharmed.

**Author's Notes:**This is a sequel to my story '**Full Circle'**. You will need to read the first story to understand what is happening in this one. This takes place just after the finale for season 7 which is 3 years after 'Full Circle'; it is again my own little world, translation, Teri makes the rules. Some quick notes, Leo is human, the manor was severely damaged in a demonic battle, the Charmed Ones narrowly escaped death by faking their own deaths and are now living new lives with new identities, and Archie Finley is my creation. I hope you enjoy. My thanks to Jerry for Beta Reading this story.

**Summary:**Where the heart leads, magic follows.

**One**

"Oh, Chris," Piper laughed at the cereal covered baby babbling in his highchair "you're supposed to eat it, not wear it. Leo, would you hand me that washcloth please?"

Leo paused from placing items into his lunch box to hand Piper the washcloth and gave a rueful shake of his head. "I'm not sure he is ever going to master the art of feeding himself. There's always more on the outside than there is on the inside."

"Oh, he'll figure it out one of these days, all kids do."

Piper finished wiping the cereal off Chris's face and moved him from the highchair to his play yard in the corner of the sunny kitchen.

"So, since you are packing that lunch box, is it safe to assume that you will be lunching on the job today?" she asked her husband with a smile as she turned to finish the clean up on the chair.

"Yeah, I'm working on restoring the woodworking today and some of the refinishing gets a bit time sensitive."

"Okay, hey, try not to be too late tonight; Paige is coming for dinner and I'd like it to be the whole family."

"Not a problem, I'll be home by five."

Piper couldn't help but think that she would never get used to how wonderful that sounded. But her reverie was quickly interrupted as Wyatt entered the kitchen with his stiff-legged attempt at a run.

"Kiss, Daddy, Kiss!" he shouted excitedly, holding his arms out to Leo.

"Inside voice," Leo chided mildly as he scooped up his eldest son for a kiss and a hug. "Daddy has to get to work now. You be good for your Mommy, okay?"

"I will," he promised as he squirmed out of his father's arms. Looking toward his mother, he wrinkled his nose, "Chris messy," he declared with the absolute authority of a three-year-old.

Piper could only smile at his serious tone. "You were messy too when you were his age."

"Nu –Uh," he insisted.

"Oh, yes, you just don't remember." She tweaked his nose affectionately as she turned to deposit the soiled cloth in the sink.

"Bye everyone," Leo called out as he headed for the door, "I'll see you tonight."

"Bye," Piper responded distractedly while Wyatt began to tug at the hem of her top.

" Mo-o-om-m-my," Wyatt stretched the syllables into a whiney singsong.

"Don't whine, sweetie. What is it?"

"Auntie Phoebe cry again. She said no, but she had the clown nose. So she fibbed."

Piper sighed. If there were anything about her new life that was less than perfect, then Phoebe's dissatisfaction would be it.

"Don't you worry about it honey. Sometimes grown-ups just get a little sad. Mommy will talk to her. Mommy has to clean up this morning, so why don't you go out in the backyard and play in your sandbox or on the swings until its time for lunch."

The freedom to allow her son to play in his yard like a normal child was yet another thing that Piper deeply appreciated about their new, demon-free lives.

" 'Kay."

"And don't…slam the door," She finished under her breath as the kitchen door crashed shut behind the whirlwind that was her son.

_If only Phoebe were so easy to please. _That thought brought Piper to a standstill in the middle of the kitchen. _Hmmm, maybe she is. It really could be that simple. Simple… _The sound of the telephone interrupted her musings, but the thought had taken hold.

"Hal…Hello, Davidson residence," Piper quickly corrected her slip.

"Got to watch those slip ups girl, they could make my job even harder than it already is," said a familiar gravely voice with a chuckle.

"Archie. How are you?"

"Doing well. And y'all?"

"We're all well," Piper's thoughts strayed to Phoebe, but that wasn't a topic for the telephone. " To what do we owe the pleasure of your call?"

"Got some checks your Dad asked me to drop by and was wondering if today would be good for you?"

"Sure. Why don't you stop by about one, I'll have the boys down for their naps by then. That work for you? Good, I'll see you then, there's something I want to talk to you about anyway."

"Trouble?" Archie's concern was apparent in his tone.

"No, no trouble Archie. Just something I need you to look into for me. I'll explain when I see you." Piper wondered if she had well and truly lost her mind as she hung up the phone. _Well, I haven't survived this long by ignoring my instincts, I don't think I'll start now._

With that thought she lifted Chris from his play yard and headed for the living room.

"Let's get you moved little fellow, so Mommy can get her housework done," she cooed to the smiling baby.

After she had safely deposited him in his walker, she set about her dusting and allowed herself the luxury of a wandering mind.

She hummed softly to herself and couldn't help but think, once again, that life was just about perfect. After having narrowly escaped death in the battle that almost destroyed the manor, ironically enough, by faking their deaths; Piper hadn't really been sure that anything would ever be right again. Enter Archibald Finley, federal agent extraordinaire.

When Darryl had realized that the girls had survived he had contacted Archie. They had only recently renewed their acquaintance when Darryl decided to leave the local police department for a federal position. Archie had proved amazingly open-minded for a mortal and amazingly helpful in making their new lives possible. Between him, Darryl, and their Dad they had pulled it off. They hadn't had to ask the Elders for help, though they had been told that help from that quarter would be available should there be a need.

As far as the world was concerned, the Halliwells were dead. From their ashes had risen Piper and Leo Davidson and their sons Wyatt and Chris and Paige and Phoebe Simmons. They had kept their real first names to minimize the confusion for the boys. Although Chris was a bit young for that to be a concern, at just under a year old, Wyatt was three and the things that had changed were an adjustment for him.

Piper had changed her hair color to a rather striking fox red, too bright for a true auburn, but with enough underlying brown tones to suit her well. Leo had darkened his hair to a medium brown. Phoebe had changed her short dark hair, that was so famous from her billboards, to a sun-streaked, blond reminiscent of another time in her life and had let it grow out to the middle of her back. Coupled with the few extra pounds she had added to her slender frame, Ask Phoebe was no more. Of the group, only Paige had significantly altered anything beyond her hair; she now sported long strawberry blond hair and at 5'8 was by far the tallest sister. Archie and Darryl would have liked more substantial changes, almost as much as they would have preferred them to leave San Francisco; but in the end they managed to work with what the girls were willing to do.

Victor had taken deed to the manor and P3 and Archie arranged their new identities. The family was still able to draw income from the business, but had little need of it. It seemed that their more mundane skills served them very well in their new lives.

Phoebe was working toward a psychology degree under her new name and worked as a student intern at the hospital on the crisis hotline. Paige had gone back into social work, managing the office as she too sought a degree she already had in her old life. But with the government push for privatization, she now worked for a private statewide child placement organization. Leo had taken his skills as a handyman and gone into business restoring old homes, not unlike the manor. And Piper was quite satisfied working part-time for a catering company.

Though they had refused to leave the city, they had made a compromise and changed neighborhoods. "Why leave the city," Piper snorted aloud "it's not like we had any friends to speak of." So Paige had found a small apartment and once more had her cherished privacy. Leo and Piper had found a lovely modern house in a suburb at the edge of the city, 3 bedrooms and a second master suite. Which turned out to be just perfect, since it was difficult for Phoebe to think about being on her own. She had lived with her family most of her life.

_I finally got my normal life and my family._ Piper broke from her thoughts reluctantly as Phoebe wandered into the room. Though she had carefully applied her make-up, Piper could see that Wyatt was right, Phoebe had been crying.

"Hey Pheebs", Piper said cheerfully, " can you keep an eye on the baby for me while I go check on Wyatt?"

"Sure, I've got a few minutes. I promised I'd work a short shift on the phone lines today, but I don't have to leave until eleven."

"Thanks, I'll be right back."

Piper returned to the living room to find Phoebe sitting quietly on the floor, playing a game of peek-a-boo with Chris. "You won't be late tonight, will you? Paige is coming for dinner."

Nope, I should be home by three. Which means I can even watch the boys while you cook," Phoebe finished with a grin.

"What, no date?" Piper teased.

"No boyfriend usually means no date, oh sister of mine."

"No boyfriend, what about…"

"Dumped him," Phoebe interrupted. "We weren't going anywhere and dating is starting to seem pretty pointless."

"Don't be silly, Phoebe. Mr. Right is out there and remember your premonition? You have to find him because you have a baby to make."

"Piper," Phoebe sighed " you have become almost insufferably cheerful you know." But she softened the comment with a small smile. "It's not like I haven't looked. I'm just starting to think that this is one of those premonitions that aren't supposed to come true. Look on the bright side, I'll be here for dinner." With that, she stood and brushed off her slacks. "Gotta go now."

Piper watched her go thoughtfully. She was more convinced than before of what her baby sister needed. _I only hope I can pull this off._


	2. Chapter 2

**TWO**

Piper had just finished settling the boys down for their naps when the doorbell rang.

"Archie," she greeted him with a hug and a smile "how are you? Come in, let's go have a seat."

" I'm fine. How are y'all? I kind of got the idea that maybe things weren't so fine when we were on the phone." Archie's gaze was accessing.

"Stop worrying so much. We haven't run into anyone we know and we haven't had any slip ups Archie," Piper told him as she directed him toward the sofa.

Archibald Finley was a living, breathing example of exactly how deceiving appearances could be. He was a 50ish man, with salt and pepper hair and plain brown eyes. His 5'8 frame leaned severely toward paunch. His rumpled suit was more in keeping with a homeless man than a federal agent. His slow, easy-going manner and the slight southern drawl that occasionally crept into his speech could easily lull one into believing that he was a bit dull. But all of these things were misleading. Archie had a quick, sharp mind, he was a wiz with a computer, and he had been their savior when all had seemed lost. For all these reasons, Archie Finley would always hold a special spot in Piper's heart.

"Well," he said as he sat down "that's good. Here you go, club profits for this month." He handed her the envelope, looking her over shrewdly.

When Darryl had approached him about helping this family, his trepidation had been obvious. He had fully expected Archie to think that he had lost his mind. But Archie had surprised him. In his 50 years he had seen far too much to easily discount the existence of good and evil. It hadn't been much of a stretch for him to accept these concepts to be represented by witches, demons, or guardian angels. He would never forget the first time he had seen them all, clinging to one another in grateful shock at having survived. He'd known immediately that he would help them. And in spite of the fact that they hadn't followed all his advice, he knew he would continue to help them in any way he could. In a way, they had become the family he had never allowed himself to have.

"Suppose you just sit down and tell me what is on your mind then."

Piper sat down with a heavy sigh. She wasn't quite sure how to approach this, so she decided to plunge right in.

"I need you to try and find someone and I need you to keep it between us until I have a chance to talk to the others about this. I'd like the information as quickly as possible," she rushed on. " I only have a name to go on. It's likely that he is a lawyer of some kind, probably in his mid to late 30's. But I can't be sure of anything except the name and I have no idea where to begin looking."" Piper finished breathlessly and tried to gauge Archie's reaction to her request.

" You don't want much, do you girl?" Archie inquired with a touch of sarcasm.

" I wouldn't ask, but I think this is really important."

Archie just looked at her for a moment, then his eyes narrowed sharply. "This isn't someone from your past is it?" He was already dreading her answer.

"Yes," Piper admitted hesitantly.

"Now you know I'd do just about anything for y'all, but it seems to me we've discussed this before. A new life means leaving the past behind. There are too many risks involved with contacting someone you knew before. Too great a chance that your secret will be exposed. I don't think I can do this."

"Archie, please. Trust me, I can virtually guarantee you that this person is no threat to our secret. If it weren't for our new lives, I wouldn't even be asking you to try and find him." When Piper saw how doubtful he still looked, she knew the situation called for bringing out the big guns. "If you don't help me with this, I can't be sure how much longer Phoebe will be okay." The guilt she felt was tempered by her belief that this was nothing less than totally true.

Archie's head snapped up. "What do you mean? What's wrong with Phoebe? You said everyone was…"

"Calm down. There isn't anything tangible wrong with Phoebe. It's just… Archie, the rest of us are happy with our new lives. Paige loves her work and she is able to have a family and the independence she craves. And I couldn't be happier; I have Leo, the boys, and a normal life. But all Phoebe really has is her role as aunt and her work. It's not that she doesn't love these things, but they don't add up to happiness for her. And if she isn't happy, well, how long is it going to be before survival doesn't seem like much of a gift?"

"And this mystery man you want me to find, he's the key to her happiness?" Archie's tone was doubtful.

"Believe me, if there is anything in the world that can make her happy, he is it."

"Why don't the others know about this walking miracle then?"

Piper nearly choked on her tongue at his phrasing. "Because they think he's dead, and to be honest, they probably won't be too happy at first to discover that he isn't. At least I hope he isn't," she added as an afterthought.

"Humph, sounds like y'all have quite a bit in common with this fellow." He reached into his jacket with resignation, "Give me his name and I'll see what I can do. But I can't promise anything with only a name to work with."

"As long as we try, I'll know I've done what I can. Thank you," Piper murmured as she quickly wrote the name down. "You'll get back to me as soon as you think you have something?"

"Yes," he replied gruffly. "Now, let me get out of here so I can start looking."

Piper saw him to the door and turned to the rest of her day with a lighter heart. She finished her housework, Phoebe amused the boys while she cooked and Paige arrived a little before six.

They were all on their way to the table when the doorbell rang. "I've got it," Piper called out from the back of the group. Her jaw dropped when the open door revealed Archie, with a manila folder in his hand. "Already," she whispered.

" Well, this is the computer age. Now I can't be a hundred percent sure. But, the name matches, the occupation and age match your guesses, and while this guy had a real nice life on paper, there were some things, like regular credit inquiries, that didn't start until about three years ago. You didn't give me a timeframe, but it seemed like a strong possibility."

"That would be about right. Thank you Archie. No matter how this turns out, I mean that. Would you like to join us, we're just sitting down to dinner?"

"You told the others about your little mission yet?"

"No."

"Then I think I'll pass, I'm not big on family drama. Goodnight now girl. Sure hope you know what you're doing."

_So do I. _That was all Piper could think, as she set the folder aside and joined the others for dinner.


	3. Chapter 3

THREE 

Piper slipped the file folder into the kitchen with her so she could read it while she cleaned up the remnants of dinner. The more she read, the more convinced she became that this was their man. And the more convinced she became, the more nervous she became about what had to come next. She could hear Leo and Paige chatting over dessert and Wyatt trying to wheedle a visit to the park out of Phoebe.

"It worked out really well for these kids Leo," Paige was telling him animatedly.

"Their Attorney ad litem was a real bear about their interests in the endless court proceedings. The children come out of the system so much better when there is someone who not only zealously represents their interests, but knows enough about their case to actually be of some use."

"That makes sense." Leo managed between mouthfuls of sherbet

"It's not that they aren't all qualified, but you know how it can be sometimes when the government is doing the paying. Even if they did volunteer to be on the list, some just work harder than others."

"Auntie Phoebe, park, you promised," Wyatt's voice cut over the top of the conversation.

"Yes munchkin, I promised. Let's get Chris into his stroller and I'll take you both to the park for awhile."

"Goodie!" he squealed.

"Wyatt, you remember the rules?" Leo asked his son.

"Yes Daddy, no magic," his voice trailed off to a whisper on the last word.

Leo stifled a smile. "That's right, and son, it's okay to say the word. You be good and have fun."

Piper held her breath anxiously as she listened to Phoebe gathering the boys and leaving the house. She tried to keep her hand from shaking as she picked up the folder and headed for the dining room. _Now or never._

"Phoebe and the boys leave?" Piper asked needlessly as she joined Leo and Paige at the table.

"Yep, they'll be gone for about an hour," Paige replied. "Whatcha got there?" Paige pointed to the folder Piper had set on the table in front of her.

"A file."

"Very funny. I can see that it's a file, but you don't usually walk around with files, so…"

"I asked Archie to try and find someone for me and this is what he came up with."

"Who'd you lose?" Paige quipped

"Well, it wasn't exactly for me, I'm just the one who asked. Look, I need to declare this a family meeting so we can talk about this."

" A family meeting," Leo inquired suspiciously. "Phoebe isn't here and, so far, the more you've talked the less clear things have become."

"Things will get clearer honey. Phoebe isn't here for a reason. This is kind of about her. That's why it's a family meeting, because it directly concerns the welfare of a family member."

"Kind of?" Paige asked. " Back to another point. I can't think of any reason to look for someone, unless they were part of our past and I thought that was a no-no. So why would Archie help you do something he told us we couldn't do?"

"Special circumstances." Piper rubbed her hand across her forehead and knew she had better get to the point. "Look, just hear me out. I know you aren't going to like what I have to say, but I guess I'm hoping you'll understand."

"Go ahead."

Piper looked from Leo to Paige and back again, then she began.

"You both know how sad Phoebe has been, right? I mean, even Wyatt notices how often she cries."

"Clown nose," they interrupted in unison.

"Yeah. Well, I figured that the reason she is so unhappy is, without magic to distract her, family and work just aren't enough. She needs more to make her life complete." Piper took a deep breath, closed her eyes and finished in a rush, "So I asked Archie to find Cole." She didn't have long to wait for a reaction.

"Piper, are you sure you're feeling alright. You do realize that you just told us that you asked Archie to find a dead man?" Leo's question was not as rhetorical as he would have liked.

"Cole's not dead." Piper dropped the statement like a bomb into the room.

"Piper, we saw him die. We were there. Remember? Vanquishing is usually considered the last word in these things." Paige spoke as though she were reasoning with a child.

"Phoebe brought him back, she used a spell, she did it just a few weeks after we had vanquished him. I've known since the day she did it."

"What!" Paige shrieked, springing to her feet, causing her chair to topple to the floor unnoticed. "When! How! You knew and you didn't tell us?"

"Which question would you like me to answer first?"

"Piper, I don't think this is a good moment for sarcasm," Leo admonished sternly. " This is serious."

"I'm sorry. You're right. I was just trying to reduce the tension." Piper sighed.

"That's almost three years, he's been running around loose for three years and you didn't tell us." Paige stared in disbelief at her older sister.

"There wasn't any point in telling you Paige, not then. Even though Phoebe led with her heart she was rational. She knew that she and Cole couldn't be together and she knew why. More than that, she was able to make him see and accept it. Telling you what she had done would only have upset you. You didn't live through so many of the better Cole moments with us. I don't think you would have agreed that even he deserved a chance."

"That doesn't explain why you didn't tell me," Leo's hurt was obvious.

"Leo, we were so busy with our own problems that telling you about something that wasn't proving to be a problem just didn't get much priority. It was less that I felt I had to keep it from you and more that there wasn't any reason you had to know."

" Didn't you even think about the danger to the rest of us if you and Phoebe were wrong, if he came after us?" Paige wasn't ready to let go of this.

"Yes. Phoebe didn't know where he had gone, just his new name. She didn't volunteer that information. But I thought we should know it, just in case. I knew she'd write it down somewhere, so I started nosing around her room until I found it. That's how I knew who to have Archie look for."

"Fine, just fine," Paige said, sounding anything but fine. "So he left us alone. Great, end of story! Why look for him now?"

"Phoebe is lonely, Paige. She needs something to complete her new life and I believe Cole is that something."

"Lonely!" Paige snorted incredulously "In case you haven't noticed, Phoebe isn't exactly a wall flower."

"And in case you never noticed, for all the dating she may do, Phoebe has committed a grand total of once. I don't think that you have to work very hard to figure out to whom."

Leo continued to sit dumbfounded through their exchange. Trying to absorb this new information, uncertain of precisely how he felt.

"Leo?" Piper questioned softly.

He shook his head. "I'm still not sure I understand."

"Leo, if you hadn't found your way back to me, to the boys, when the Elders took your memory; what kind of life do you really believe I would have now? How happy do you think I'd be? Do you honestly think that Cole and Phoebe ever loved one another less than we do? The things that kept them apart aren't an issue any longer. Isn't it their turn?"

When Leo said nothing, Piper glanced from him to Paige and back again. She stood, lifting the file from the table. " I can understand that you both feel a bit betrayed right now. But this isn't the first time that one of us has been less than honest because we thought it was important to another of us. And magic, or not, it probably won't be the last."

"Tomorrow morning I'll be calling Bertram & Associates, Attorneys at Law for an appointment. Then I will be on my way to Los Angeles to see if I've got my sister's man. If not, a cover story won't be a problem; if it is him, I guess we'll all find out if I'm right. I'd like to think that you'll both support this, but I'm doing it, whether I have your support or not." And with that Piper walked out on her stunned family.


	4. Chapter 4

FOUR 

Three days later found Piper on a flight to Los Angeles.

It would probably be a long time before Leo and Paige fully recovered from the impact of this secret. But they had ultimately agreed to support her efforts for Phoebe's sake. Leo had taken a couple of days off to take care of Chris. Piper had decided to take Wyatt with her, knowing that he would enjoy the travel experience. And as far as Phoebe was concerned, Piper was attending a hands on workshop on catering children's parties.

After she and Wyatt got checked in at the hotel, Piper checked with the concierge to confirm the location of the law office and what her estimated travel time to her appointment would be. Then she set about taking Wyatt to the zoo and the nearest party pizza spot so that he would have appropriate stories to tell if he were asked. She didn't want to ask him to tell any lies that weren't absolutely necessary. At three, there was no guarantee that he could keep a lie straight anyway.

At four o'clock she stood nervously outside her true destination. Bertram & Associates took up half of the third floor of a moderately priced office building; a chrome and glass affair with a nice central location. Piper tried hard not to appear fidgety for fear that someone in the reception area would notice. Smiling down at Wyatt, she reminded him, "You be good while Mommy takes care of this appointment sweetie and then we'll find someplace really fun for dinner. Okay?" When he nodded his agreement, Piper fortified herself with a deep breath and reached for the door.

"Hi. I'm Mrs. Davidson, I have a four fifteen appointment with Mr.Carter."

The receptionist returned Piper's tentative smile and checked her appointment book. "Yes ma'am, oh here it is, an advice consultation."

"Yes, that's it."

"Mr. Carter just called in. He's in transit from the courthouse, but he'll be here shortly. He said to go ahead and have you wait in his office. " If you'll just follow me. Could I get you something to drink while you wait? "

"No thank you, we're fine," Piper followed her down the corridor, the sound of their footsteps swallowed by the plush carpeting.

When they had been left in the office, Piper took in her surroundings appreciatively. _Not Bad._ The office wasn't opulent, but it was by no means tacky. The carpeting was obviously expensive, the furniture was simple but elegant and appeared to have been designed for comfort. The tinted window behind the desk overlooked what could have been any busy city street. A child-sized table and chairs, a box of toys, and a small shelf of children's books, crayons and coloring books took up one corner of the office.

That corner caused Piper to take a second look around, but there weren't any family photos to be seen. She relaxed a bit and then reminded herself that she wasn't even sure this was Cole. That uncertainty lasted all of a minute.

The door to the office opened and an unmistakable tall, dark haired man entered. "I'm sorry to have kept you waiting Mrs. Davidson," he said looking up from the folder in his hands.

When his eyes found his waiting client, a few seconds turned into a lifetime. Cole literally felt his composure slip away. The folder he was carrying fluttered to the floor, its pages floating loose around it. He was thankful that he had closed the door already as he leaned against it weak kneed. Pale and slack jawed; he looked again and tried desperately to convince himself that he was wrong. The hair was different, but he wasn't wrong, the face was unmistakable and the child that accompanied her bore a strong resemblance to his father.

"Piper," his voice emerged in a strangled croak.

Piper felt a swell of pity for the man before her. She could well imagine what he was going through right now. She was only heartened by the thought that he would likely forgive her for the shock._ That is if he doesn't have a heart attack first._

"Hi, long time no see," she tried weakly for humor. "Is it safe to talk here?" She asked more seriously.

He nodded warily. His legs seemed to be working again, but he was still terribly pale. He bent down and haphazardly gathered up the spilled papers. Striding across the office to deposit them on his desk, he continued to struggle to regain his composure.

"Travis Carter huh, nice name, but I think I like Cole Turner better." Piper really only spoke to allow him a few more moments to absorb the shock.

The sound of his name snapped something inside of Cole and he was suddenly angry.

"How did you know? How did you find me? Why are you here? I've left all of you alone!"

Cole's voice had risen in pitch with each question and he had ended in a near shout. When he suddenly remembered the child that accompanied her with a sidelong glance. The little boy was staring at him with a mixture of apprehension and mistrust.

Piper caught the glance and knelt down beside Wyatt, " Wyatt honey, why don't you go over there and color while Cole and I talk."

"That big man yelled at you Mommy," Wyatt shot an accusatory look at Cole.

"It's okay sweetie. I surprised him and he's just a little excitable."

"He's loud when he's 'citable. Don't he have an inside voice?"

Piper struggled to stifle a smile at her son's disapproval.

Cole had the good grace to look chagrined at being chastised by a small boy; he knelt down in front of Wyatt, " I'm sorry big guy. I promise no more yelling. It's okay for you to go color if you'd like."

" 'Kay," Wyatt agreed though his suspicion was still obvious.

Cole watched him go and then turned to Piper with a deep sigh. " I guess we had best sit down so you can tell me just what the hell is going on," he said quietly.

" If you don't mind, I think I'll start with your easier questions first. I'm not here to accuse you of bothering us, I know that you haven't. As for how I knew, I've known since Phoebe brought you back. I knew she did it and I knew why. As for how I found you, I looked," she quirked a half smile at him.

"Not funny," he growled.

"Sorry. The why is a little more complicated; I take it you don't keep up with the news?"

"If you mean Charmed news, no, I don't. If you don't want to fall down it's best not to go where it's slippery." He added the last with a sardonic quirk of one brow.

"I'm here because Phoebe needs you."

"Phoebe made herself pretty clear the last time I saw her. And as much as I hated it, she was right about all the reasons we couldn't be together."

"Things change Cole."

"What? Did the world suddenly stop turning? Have the laws that govern the universe been rewritten?" His sarcasm was evident.

" Well, kind of. The Charmed Ones are dead."

"What," Cole started out of his chair " you said Phoebe needed me, you're here, did something happen to Paige?"

" No, it's not like that. I don't mean literally dead. We're dead to the world of magic, new names, new lives, no more fighting evil or chasing demons."

"And just how did you manage that?"

"There was a battle at the manor a few months ago, it was nearly destroyed and us with it. If it hadn't been for Prue teaching Leo astral projection and Leo teaching us, we would have failed against Zankou. And we would be dead, instead of just faking it."

"I still can't believe that the Elders just let go of their most cherished weapon against evil. You've all been almost killed before, damn, I think you've all actually been killed at one time or another."

" Things with the Elders got pretty strained even before this happened. They took Leo's memories as a kind of punishment and to force him to choose between his family and the greater good, the boys and I won. He's now fully human." Piper finished the last with a small smile.

"No more missed dinners huh?" Cole let the first hint of a smile surface. "That still doesn't explain why they…"

" They almost lost all of us at once. Even the Elders were forced to admit that for whatever reason, this generation of Charmed Ones is notoriously targeted. They pretty much had to agree that there might not be any future generations to carry on the legacy if we weren't retired. We didn't ask for their help, so they mumbled their greater good party line and let it be."

Cole sat quietly absorbing the implications of what Piper had said. New lives, no magic. Hope and fear raged within him simultaneously and he finally asked the question he most needed answered.

"Piper, what makes you so sure that she'll have me, that I'm what she needs?"

"Part of it is that I know my little sister. But what makes me most certain is that you didn't ask me why I thought you would have her. And no where in your lovely office is there a single sign that you have a wife or family."

Piper pulled a card from her purse, jotted something on the back and stood and called to Wyatt. She handed the card to Cole and dropped a hand to his shoulder for a gentle squeeze.

"This is where we're staying. Three years ago Phoebe gave you a second chance at life. I'm here today because the two of you deserve a second chance at love. I know that that has to feel like a terrible risk, but I've never known you to be a coward Cole. So if you decide that it's a chance worth taking, give me a call and I'll tell you what I have in mind. We don't leave until tomorrow evening.


	5. Chapter 5

FIVE 

Phoebe's birthday dawned a bright clear day. It was perfect for the barbecue and small party that had been planned to celebrate. Phoebe had breathed a heartfelt sigh of relief that they had foregone the effort of a surprise party. Darryl and Sheila were coming and bringing the kids, Archie had been invited and even Dad would be there this year. Family and friends, that's about as good as it gets was all she could think as she got dressed.

Even a small party proved a bit chaotic with the children running around in their excitement. Phoebe greeted everyone with hugs and smiles when they arrived and settled in to visit with Sheila and keep an eye on the youngest party guests.

Leo and Victor fought a mock duel for control of the grill, which successfully ruined Archie's quiet refuge from the family hijinks. But he took it in good spirit, grabbing his drink and heading for a lawn chair with a laugh.

"At least it's happy chaos," he told Paige good-naturedly.

Piper had commandeered Darryl, with a laughing apology to Sheila, to help bring food from the house. Paige had declared herself mistress of the gift table and seemed determined to set a record for rearranging the gifts. A duty she considered secondary only to keeping curious little ones at bay.

"Hey you, those are my presents you keep handling," Phoebe told her with a laugh.

When Piper showed up to drag Sheila off to set yet another table, Phoebe offered to help.

"No honey, this is your day and you aren't going to work. We'll take care of it."

"But what am I supposed to do, everybody is busy with something," Phoebe asked with a mock pout. "Even Archie got brave enough to rejoin the grill brigade."

"Well missy, just go have a second childhood and play with the kids. We'll be done setting up soon and then you'll have more company than you know what to do with."

It was while she was 'it' in a game of hide and seek that Phoebe first noticed that the adult guests at her party seemed to be meeting in small groups and that there was an awful lot of whispering going on in those meetings. She was beginning to feel a little left out of her own party. By the time she had noticed the third such 'meeting' she was feeling downright paranoid.

"I thought this was my party," she called out" did you all change your mind about inviting me?"

"Oh alright Miss Impatience, gather up those munchkins and you can come help some. We're about ready here, so you can help us get the kids settled to eat and then the rest of us can sit down." Piper gave the others a quick lip zip while Phoebe was busy collecting the children.

Paige settled Chris into his highchair while Sheila, Phoebe and Piper began to fix plates for the kids.

"Oh drat, I forgot the lemonade," Piper exclaimed, "I'll be right back." With that she hurried into the house.

When they had the kids settled, the adults began to group around their table. Everyone had just sat down when Leo looked around the various tables with a puzzled expression on his face.

"Piper, honey aren't we missing a gift?"

Piper glanced at the gift table, " We sure are. I must have left it in the living room."

"Well, if we're going to do cake and presents right after we eat they really should all be out here."

"Okay, birthday girl, you wanted to help, so you get to fetch the missing gift," Piper said with a grin.

Phoebe looked at her for a moment in disbelief, then realizing that her sister was serious she asked, "Where is it?"

"It's near the sofa, you can't miss it sweetie."

Phoebe rose from the table, grumbling under her breath and completely missed the conspiratorial glances exchanged around the table.

" Get ready," Piper whispered "this shouldn't take long."

When Phoebe entered the house, she motioned everyone up and whispered quickly to the children.

Phoebe stomped her way through the kitchen, muttering to herself, "Can't help…help…fetch the gift. Jeez, I'd hate to see what it would be like if it was someone else's birthday." But the sight that greeted her when she entered the living room left her not only speechless, but breathless as well.

Dressed in a beautifully snug pair of jeans and T-shirt and holding a bright red bow was the man who still filled her dreams nightly.

"Happy birthday baby," Cole said softly.

Phoebe launched herself across the room and into his arms with a screech. Cole caught hold of her to keep them both from toppling over with the force of the impact. Phoebe was laughing and crying and raining kisses all over his smiling face. Her hands were everywhere at once as if she needed to reassure herself that he was real.

"Oh Cole," she gasped between kisses.

"Easy Love, just breathe, just breathe okay," Cole whispered against her lips.

"How?" She finally managed, still clinging fiercely to Cole.

Cole nodded toward the doorway with a smile. Phoebe turned her tear streaked, smiling face in that direction and was greeted by the sight of her dearest friends and family.

" Happy birthday sweetie, I couldn't think of anything else you needed," Piper said with a grin.

Wyatt, who'd slipped in unnoticed to see what all the commotion was about, gazed sternly at Cole. " Oh, it's him again," he said, "Mommy, now he's got Auntie Phoebe being all 'citable."

"That's okay honey, it's her birthday, so she's allowed to be a little 'citable."

Turning her attention to Cole and Phoebe again, hand on one hip, Piper said, "Okay you two, you've got five minutes. And keep it PG there are children on the premises. Then we have a birthday party to finish."

As they returned to the table, Piper couldn't help but tease Paige a bit.

"Care to admit that I was right?" she asked with a raised eyebrow.

" Okay," she said grudgingly " they do have a certain magic."

"No magi…" Wyatt began.

" Auntie Paige is talking about a different kind of magic dear."


	6. Chapter 6

EPILOGUE 

_6 months later_

The three sisters stood looking around the master bedroom, empty except for a single chair, and smiled at the approaching grunting and grumbling sounds.

Cole and Phoebe had had a small wedding two months earlier. Victor had given the bride away with a smile, though he couldn't resist a quip about déjà vu. Today was moving day for the happy couple.

Reaching out to smooth the blind on the window, Phoebe winced then grinned at the muffled thunk in the hallway and the colorful curse that was definitely her husband.

"Do you think they'll survive moving day?" She asked idly. "Oh darn."

The blind had jammed at an awkward angle. "I meant to ask Leo to look at this," she said as she dragged the chair closer and climbed up to adjust it.

Cole and Leo's voices were clear now as they were nearly in the door.

"This headboard weighs a ton Cole."

"Oh stop complaining. If you were still a whitelighter we could have just orbed it here."

"Don't start…"

Leo didn't get a chance to finish his sentence. Cole dropped his end of the offending headboard with a resounding crash and strode across the room to pluck Phoebe off the chair she stood on.

"Are you out of your beautiful little mind? What do you think you're doing up there? And you two," he rounded on Paige and Piper "you didn't stop her?"

"Wait just a minute mister…"

"Cole, honey put me down and don't yell at them. They don't know."

"You didn't tell them?"

"It's early yet and I didn't want to jinx us."

" Well, I'll fix that. Now hear this," he said with a proud grin "Phoebe is pregnant. That means that chairs, ladders, heavy lifting and anything else that might pose a danger to my son…"

"Daughter," Phoebe interrupted with a sly grin.

"Whichever… is now strictly forbidden," he finished, setting her on her feet with a soft kiss.

"Alright 'Poppa'," Leo huffed sarcastically " that's enough gloating. Get back over here and help with this thing or I swear your next child will be conceived on the floor."

Phoebe's sister's squealed and rushed to congratulate her as Cole went back to the task of moving. Who'd have believed that happily ever after wasn't just for fairy tales.

The End


End file.
